Am I the Only One Who Didn't Know?

"There's no need to be so surprised..."

Saito's Astral Projection: "Anyway, it's just me talking to myself... Even someone like me sometimes wants to try what it feels like to rely on a man... I just want to show off a little, so please keep it a secret."

"Of course! Senior is still the same dashing, unrestrained, and exceptionally handsome captain as before!"

Hikifune Kirio clenched his fist tightly, vowing, "You can rest assured, I Hikifune Kirio, am known for my tight-lipped nature!"

After saying that, she quietly slipped a ring into her belt with her left hand, which was hidden behind her back.

Well, as the director of the Research and Development Bureau, and on a mission to monitor traitors, it's not unusual for him to carry one or two strange gadgets, right?

It's understandable to accidentally capture some extra footage or record a few strange words, but if it were to be leaked, that would be a real problem.

—I want to spread this image full of love and hope throughout the entire Seireitei!

Chapter 482 Am I the only one who doesn't know?

"Your Majesty, the plan to capture the Bount has failed."

"Really? What a pity~"

Young Yhwach sat on the throne, his eyes half-open as if he were sleepy, and he rested his head on his hand, looking listless. "They must have had a hard time."

"It is the glory of the Quincy to be able to dedicate everything to His Majesty, and they know this, which is why they go to the World of the Living."

Haschwalth stood up and presented an object to Yhwach, placing it at his feet.

"This is the amount of Bount we've collected. It's a bit small, but given enough time, we should be able to gather more. When mixed with Holy Silver, it can indeed be used to create powerful items, just as Your Majesty said."

"You can handle this kind of trivial matter yourselves. You should focus more on the 'Perfected State' instead, understand?"

Yhwach remained indifferent, not even bothering to glance at him.

Bount's soul has the effect of passively absorbing Reishi, which is indeed very useful, but that's only for ordinary Quincy. Those who need to use items are at most at the level of "newly recruited members of the Knights".

The old subordinates who have followed Yhwach for thousands of years, the veteran members of the Knights, and the talented individuals who have just been promoted by Yhwach to the Imperial Guard —these true elites do not need to rely on external things at all.

Because Yhwach's "gift" is very powerful!

Vandenreich Letter, the Sternritter, and the Perfected State... each of these requires a great deal of effort to develop, so there's no need to play around with these fancy tricks.

After all, even the most ordinary "Quincy Ultimate Form" has a [Reishi aggregation] ability that far surpasses the level of the Bount, and the "Perfected State" is even higher, their power is not even in the same dimension!

"I will distribute the 'bows' made from the Bount to the purebloods who need them, Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Haschwalth raised his eyes slightly after speaking, "And after this incident, Seireitei finally realized our existence."

"Not too late, hehe~"

Yhwach was still listless, letting out two weak laughs. "How will the strongest Captain-General the Grim Reapers in Strongest in a Millennium react?"

"Since it concerns 'His Majesty,' there's no doubt that he'll be on high alert."

Haschwalth's serious and calm demeanor resembled that of a noble young master, as did his voice and posture. His elegant appearance was completely unlike that of a powerful Knight Captain, the second-in-command of the entire [Empire of Light]—now the [Wandenreich].

"Although the Seireitei has been through a series of upheavals and has little strength left, it can still muster a large army at any time if it is serious."

Compared to a thousand years ago, the current Thirteen Court Guard Squads is much stronger. They are no longer just killing squads, but an organic whole with strategic and logistical support, where each member performs their duties from reconnaissance to medical care.

The Quincy nowadays are no match for the Seireitei.

Unlike his confidence in front of others, Haschwalth was quite outspoken with Yhwach, and the boy on the throne did not show any anger, but instead nodded.

He is the King of the Quincy, and at his peak he may have been the strongest in the Three Worlds, but that does not mean he can act without restraint and single-handedly storm the Soul King Palace.

Firstly, he only has a theoretical "peak period." In reality, since his birth, he has never experienced the feeling of "filling" himself with spiritual power. In other words, he is never in a complete state—this is related to his special constitution, where his soul is constantly splitting into tiny fragments, which is unavoidable.

Secondly, the Seireitei and the Soul King Palace are also formidable forces. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and his Thirteenth Division are merely the first hurdle. If too many combatants are lost here, then there is no hope of breaking through those old monsters in the Soul King Palace.

Therefore, we must not only restore our own condition, but also strengthen the strength of our subordinates, and formulate perfect strategies and tactics to destroy Thirteenth Division at the lowest cost!

Fortunately, this was not a difficult thing for Yhwach, who could "see the future".

Let's start planning now!

"I will inform Your Majesty of any movements by the Seireitei as soon as possible."

Hunting the Bount was merely bait, deliberately intended to be discovered by the Shinigami. Even without Hikifune Kirio's accidental discovery, the Quincy would have expanded their activities in the World of the Living and continued searching for the Bount, inevitably leading to a conflict with the Shinigami sooner or later.

After realizing that "the Quincy Empire still exists," what actions will the Seireitei take?

Of course, we must do everything in our power to find and annihilate them!

The higher-ups still remember that "Song of the Holy Emperor"!

Nobody wants Yhwach to return. The Grim Reapers are willing to pay any price to nip this possibility in the bud!

But here's the question: where will Death's search focus?

Is it Rukongai? Hueco Mundo? Dangai? Kagoya?

Or perhaps the most likely scenario— the World of the Living.

But in any case, it absolutely could not be Seireitei!

Just kidding, who would believe that the Quincy would place such a huge "Wandenreich" directly in the Seireitei?

When Iori gave Yamamoto the hint, Yamamoto subconsciously felt that someone had infiltrated Seireitei, never imagining that the enemy's lair was right under his feet!

Once the Thirteenth Division begin large-scale operations, their forces will be dispersed, Yhwach will have plenty of ways to mobilize them, allowing him to find weaknesses and infiltrate Soul Society.

Sacrificing a few purebloods now is not such a heavy price to pay; on the contrary, it can bring strategic advantages, King of the Quincy does not feel any regret at all.

Having gone through a life-and-death cycle, Yhwach is now an absolutely ruthless ruler. In his eyes, no sacrifice is too great to bear, and all Quincy are just coins in his pocket.

The difference lies in their value and uses, but they are essentially consumables.

"Thank you for your hard work, Haschwalth."

Yhwach yawned, drawing Haschwalth's attention.

The King of the Quincy does indeed have periods of "sleep," but that's to maintain his own state or to integrate absorbed power. It's not sleep in the conventional sense, but looking at Yhwach's current state...

"Your Majesty, are you very tired?"

If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't dare to ask directly, and it would be the same if it were Lille Barro.

But Haschwalth is different. He is Yhwach's "half-body," the Quincy closest to him on a soul level, and keeping an eye on Yhwach's condition is one of his responsibilities.

Yhwach didn't seem to care, and said calmly, "A little... Now, I understand human feelings a little better."

"... What did you say?"

Haschwalth looked puzzled.

"It means that I have now degenerated into a mortal being."

Yhwach smiled casually, "Appetite, sleepiness, anguish, obsession, impulse... Countless believers once entrusted me with all sorts of emotions, which annoyed and bored me."

But now that I've lost the power that was equal to that of the gods, I'm able to truly appreciate the complexity of it all.

Haschwalth... It's such a lucky thing to be born as a human being~

People?

The blond knight's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes were filled with shock.

When he met Yhwach was already the king who had swept across the entire North Sea and established his own "Empire of Light". At that time, Yhwach was more like a "god" in the eyes of many Quincy (offspring) than a "king".

Although the attempt to conquer Soul Society failed a thousand years ago, no one's faith wavered. Everyone believed that Yhwach would return again... But after awakening, he actually called himself a "human"?

"I am too foolish to understand Your Majesty's true meaning, but since you say so, it must be correct."

"Your loyalty has always been so pure, Haschwalth."

Yhwach, feigning sleep with his eyes closed, said slowly, "Child of Man... how can one become strong if one does not acknowledge one's own weakness?"

Born with a disability, I've always overlooked this truth; how ridiculous!

Haschwalth did not answer. After Yhwach fell into a deep sleep, the hall was completely quiet. Holding his breath, he could vaguely hear a regular and strong heartbeat coming from Yhwach's body.

At this moment, Haschwalth suddenly recalled how Yhwach looked when he awoke, and then thought of something:

As the "Son of the Spirit King," Yhwach possesses immense power, but he has not transcended the Bleach of the Spirit King's power and is therefore unable to devour the Soul King Fragment.

Like those Grim Reapers or humans with fragments within them, they merely serve as containers for the Spirit King's power, indirectly gaining some benefits but unable to absorb it. Once the container (soul) disappears, the fragments will fall out as before, continuing to circulate among different souls.

To truly absorb the Soul King Fragment, or even larger organs, Yhwach must first surpass the Soul King's Bleach. This was the fundamental reason why he disregarded everything to storm the Soul King Palace a thousand years ago.

It was precisely because he failed to surpass the Soul King that Yhwach's eyes were sealed by the Great Monk using "the Spirit King's Left Hand".

However, this time, Yhwach used the power of the Spirit King's Left Hand to resurrect!

It was not the remains of the original King of the Quincy, but rather it resided in the Soul King's arm and was then shaped into a human form.

... But how did he do it?

Could the Soul King's body be so easily possessed?

So many fragments, having gone through countless cycles, still maintain their independence, while this entire arm... and perhaps other parts, has been completely controlled?

For some inexplicable reason, Haschwalth felt a surge of fear. He retreated from the hall and glanced at the door with awe before closing it.

Now, what kind of being is the King of the Quincy who sleeps on the throne?

Without a doubt, it is indeed Yhwach's consciousness, but...

After Haschwalth left, Yhwach slowly opened his sleepy eyes in the darkness. His bright red pupils kept changing, sometimes disappearing, sometimes splitting into two or even three, but all of them flashed by and could not settle down.

"Haschwalth..."

This offspring is excellent and absolutely loyal, but his flaw is that he is too intelligent. Tools do not need to have independent thinking ability; they only need to complete the task.

The golden-haired knight must be wondering why he was able to be resurrected a hundred years earlier, and even go further by absorbing the power of the Spirit King—

Yhwach will not explain this to anyone.

The Soul King, as the most powerful individual in the world, possesses power that cannot be calculated in any way. Within the Three Worlds, he is truly "The Almighty," and is the fundamental being that maintains the balance of the world.

If the Soul King were willing, he could break free from his restraints and return to his prime, because each of those severed fragments contained the Spirit King's Will; they were both independent entities and extensions of his eyes.

Yhwach knew, of course, how powerful his "father" was, but he also knew that the Soul King would never personally interfere in anything, so there was no need for him to worry.

Moreover, after the Soul King has existed as the wedge between the Three Worlds for countless years, he has probably long been disappointed or even desperate about this fragile and stagnant world, and is waiting for someone to break the deadlock.

—Yhwach firmly believes it is himself!

The evidence is that the will in the Spirit King's Left Hand suddenly disappeared, allowing him to skip the long process and directly possess it!

The Soul King, who is willing to sacrifice himself for the world, will not do anything on his own initiative. But if he did not have expectations of himself, why would he tacitly withdraw his will?

The Soul King undoubtedly loved the Three Worlds he had created, but he was tired of his work and now needed a reason to end it all—this was what Yhwach thought.

Yes, that's certainly true.

However... the Soul King merely allowed the "children" to act as they pleased; the final outcome will depend on their individual skills!

"Captain Aizen, good morning."

"... Captain Aizen."

"Good morning, Iori... um."

As Iori walked along the road, she encountered some fellow soldiers and acquaintances, greeting them naturally, but for some reason, everyone's expression was strange.

I felt a mix of curiosity and amusement, but mostly admiration, as if I were watching a great hero who had accomplished an impossible trial.

"What happened?"

Iori was slightly puzzled, but quickly put it out of her mind.

Today, the Old Man Yama convened Captain's meeting to discuss the "Bount Incident" that occurred in the World of the Living. In addition to the Bount who need to be controlled (eliminated), pure-blooded Quincy was not registered was also discovered, which caused a great shock to the Seireitei's high-ranking officials.

The Central 46 suspects this is a sign of Yhwach's return as prophesied, so they order the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to strengthen their defenses in the World of the Living and search for and eliminate any remaining Quincy remnants!

"... That's how it is. However, before things are clear, it's not appropriate for Thirteenth Division to make any big moves. My idea is to select two captains and adjutants to lead a capable team to the World of the Living to cooperate with Hikifune Kirio and... Saitō Fuyōfushi in the search."

Yamamoto paused for a moment for no apparent reason and glanced at Iori.

"The candidates are Kuchiki Sōjun and..."

"I recommend Captain Aizen."

"Me too!"